Week 9 - Space + Art

As defined by the PBS website, astronomical art is a collaboration between art and space. “The delights of observing the night sky long have inspired artists, composers, and poets” (PBS). The famous rock guitarist Brian May of the rock band, Queen, earned a PhD in astronomy. The composer William Herschel became an influential astronomer of the 18th century. Astronomical art started way before 1950, when space exploration started. According to Mario Livio’s article on Huffington Post, “the ancient Babylonian, Chinese, North European and Central American cultures all left records and artifacts related to various astronomical observations” (Livio).

Adoration of the Magi by Giotto di Bondone
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-livio/astronomy-art_b_3748900.html

 Italian painter Giotto di Bondone’s fresco “Adoration of the Magi”, which is painted around 1305, features a very realistic depiction of a comet. “The Battle of Issus”, by the German painter Albrecht Altdrofer is the first painter in which the curvature of the Earth is shown as seen from a great height. All these works were created around the time of the Copernican revolution.

The Battle of Issus by Albrecht Altdrofer
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-livio/astronomy-art_b_3748900.html

As explained by Sally Ruth May in “Perceptions of Space: Objects from the Art Institute of Chicago”, “the Maya civilisation was among the early cultures to erect monuments that investigated the human relationship to the cosmos and the cycles of life”. 

Ron Miller's work!
http://qz.com/366109/how-space-art-is-made/

With advances in technology, astronomical art has changed since then. Ron Miller, a renowned artist in the field of space art, stated in the article, “The artist who showed you what space looks like”, “Up until a decade ago I worked entirely in traditional media but I now do all my work digitally.” In fact, recently there was an Art of Astrophysics competition hosted by MIT and its website says, “whether you’re a photographer or a poet, a crafter or a coder, a musician or a moviemaker, we want you to use your talents and creativity to illuminate the beauty of astrophysical results”. Astronomical art has developed from paintings and sculptures to a variety of art forms, both traditional and digital. 

References:

"Astronomy & the Arts." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Livio, Mario. "Astronomy in Renaissance Art." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 May 2015.

May, Sally Ruth. "Objects from The Art Institute of Chicago." Objects from The Art Institute of Chicago. The Art Institute of Chicago, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.

Quito, Anne. "The Artist Who Showed You What Space Looks like." Quartz. Quartz, 20 Mar. 2015. Web. 27 May 2015.

"The Art of Astrophysics." The Art of Astrophysics. MIT, n.d. Web. 27 May 2015.